18 Facts About Nikki Jean

Nikki Jean was introduced to rapper Lupe Fiasco when he was working on his 2007 album Lupe Fiasco's The Cool and achieved initial success as the featuring artist on his single "Hip Hop Saved My Life".

Nicolle Nikki Jean Leary was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota on August 25,1983.

Nikki Jean's father was a government aid agency worker and her mother was a labor lawyer.

Nikki Jean developed an early interest in songwriting after watching Irving Berlin's 100th birthday in 1983, and started learning the piano aged eight.

Nikki Jean was influenced by her mother's taste in Paul Simon and Stevie Wonder, and grew up watching old musicals.

Nikki Jean took the name "Nikki Jean" while in high school to distinguish herself from other people who shared her name.

Nikki Jean accepted the offer and moved to the city, where she lived in the neighborhood of Manayunk.

Nikki Jean featured on two tracks on his album Lupe Fiasco's The Cool : "Little Weapon" and the single "Hip Hop Saved My Life", which she co-wrote.

In 2008, Nikki Jean sought out producer Sam Hollander for his work on Carole King's 2001 album Love Makes the World to discuss a direction for a future solo career.

For two years, Nikki Jean wrote songs with writers such as King, Burt Bacharach and Bob Dylan, many of which were popular during the 1970s and 1980s.

Nikki Jean believed her lack of mainstream success helped her secure collaborations, which allowed her to approach each writer as a fan.

Nikki Jean was originally signed to Columbia Records but was let go in late 2010 as her music seemed "more mature" than they anticipated; the album was instead released on July 12,2011 by indie label S-Curve Records, titled Pennies in a Jar.

Nikki Jean appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman, Tavis Smiley, Weekend Edition Saturday and Live from Daryl's House to promote it.

Nikki Jean released the X-Mas EP in 2013, and was a featuring artist on Ab-Soul's 2014 song "World Runners".

On October 22,2014, Nikki Jean released the first single from her second solo EP, "Champagne Water", featuring Ab-Soul.

Nikki Jean later featured on songs from Fiasco's 2018 album Drogas Wave.

In 2019, Nikki Jean released the seven-track EP Beautiful Prison through Rhymesayers Entertainment, with Fiasco featuring on the Jake One-produced single "Mr Clean".

Nikki Jean added that Jean had "a lithe, quietly potent voice", which other critics characterized as sincere.